The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20 percent traitor. -Ronald ReaganWebsite World Net Daily (WND) has decided to drop conservative pundit and author, Ann Coulter as the keynote speaker for its "Taking America Back National Conference" next month, because of her plan to be the keynote speaker at "Homocon," an event put together by GOProud the first genuinely conservative group for gay Republicans (Coulter's column will still be carried by the site).
According to Joseph Farah, the Editor-in-Chief of Chief of WND, the reason for dis-inviting Ms Coulter from the WND conference (and their rejection of GOProud) is the Gay organization's support of same-sex marriage and military service for open homosexuals. If Farah took the time to look at GOProud's web site he would have seen that those issues are not the group's priorities. GOProud describes its goals as:
GOProud is an organization that is committed to a traditional conservative agenda that emphasizes limited government, individual liberty, free markets and a confident foreign policy.In other words they are more conservative than most of the Republicans in office today. But it doesn't seem that those conservative goals are not important to WND's Joseph Farah as you can see by this exchange with Ms Coulter:
Asked by Farah why she was speaking to GOProud, Coulter said: "They hired me to give a speech, so I'm giving a speech. I do it all the time."World Net Daily's support of intolerance (one of their key columnists is the passionately anti-semitic Holocaust denier Pat Buchanan) and wacko positions such as their infamous of the discredited birther story, puts them on the outside fringe of the conservative movement. Sadly their extreme positions provide fodder for liberal propaganda.
Farah then asked: "Do you not understand you are legitimizing a group that is fighting for same-sex marriage and open homosexuality in the military – not to mention the idea that sodomy is just an alternate lifestyle?"
Coulter responded: "That's silly, I speak to a lot of groups and do not endorse them. I speak at Harvard and I certainly don't endorse their views. I've spoken to Democratic groups and liberal Republican groups that loooove abortion. The main thing I do is speak on college campuses, which is about the equivalent of speaking at an al-Qaida conference. I'm sure I agree with GOProud more than I do with at least half of my college audiences. But in any event, giving a speech is not an endorsement of every position held by the people I'm speaking to. I was going to speak for you guys, I think you're nuts on the birther thing (though I like you otherwise!)."
Ann Coulter believes a desire for publicity was behind WND's move, in an email to the Daily Caller she made the following points:
1) Farah is doing this for PUBLICITY and publicity alone;If we are for taking away the power of the Federal Government as it tries to control our lives and freedoms,as I believe is at the heart of the conservative movement, then we must join hands with groups that agree with that position. GOProud is such an organization.
2) This was an email exchange between friends [the exchange above] and even though I didn’t expressly say “OFF THE RECORD” and I believe everything I said, he’s a swine for using my private emails politely answering him. Why would he do such a despicable thing? … for PUBLICITY.
3) But now that he has, I will say that he could give less than two sh-ts about the conservative movement — as demonstrated by his promotion of the birther nonsense (long ago disproved by my newspaper, human events, also sweetness & light, American Spectator and National Review etc, etc etc). He’s the only allegedly serious conservative pushing the birther thing...for ONE reason: to get hits on his website.
4) His group hadn’t come up for the money to book me for a speech, anyway, so he’s not canceling me from anything.
Also, FYI; my fellow evangelicals — and I know lots and lots of ‘em — – all think it’s great that I’m doing this. (of course, they know I’m not changing my mind on gay marriage even though I like gays). This is total b.s. for PUBLICITY by a publicity whore. Attack Ann Coulter, get publicity. liberals figured that out a long time ago, so he’s a little late to the party.
Thankfully most conservatives are more tolerant than WND. Conservative Blogger John Hawkins of Right Wing News has become a sponsor of the conference:
Today, I want to make an announcement: Right Wing News is the first sponsor of Homocon. We're going to be supporting the event, promoting it, and encouraging Republicans in New York to attend. Thanks to GOProud for giving us the opportunity and thanks to Ann Coulter for creating what's sure to be a memorable event that people will want to attend.I am not surprised at John's tolerance, he believes the key to restoring America to greatness is to vote the progressive Democrats out of office. Ann Coulter, GOProud and John Hawkins are strong allies in that effort. WND on the other hand, support of haters such as Pat Buchanan, and its refusal to give up on the discredited birther nonsense, and its intolerance of Gay Republican's is nothing but a road block for the conservative movement and ammunition for the progressives.
Rick Moran of RightWing NutHouse also weighed in on the WND Stupidity. Click Here for his excellent take.
5 comments:
Is that kinda like the discredited 'there is still an oil spill' movement??
jus'askin'.
You say, we should "give up on the discredited birther movement". Discredited by leftists only.
To Jeff Dunetz:
WND did the right thing in dropping Coulter from it's "Taking America Back" conference.
Here's the most important part of what Joe Farah said:
"There's a different standard for columnists and speakers at our conference," Farah explained.
"We boast the broadest ideological forum of commentators in any news or opinion publication or website anywhere on the planet – and we will continue to do that. We think people should hear all points of view discussed openly and honestly."
"However, this conference is a serious event designed to provide some real leadership for those who are serious about changing the direction of this country."
"There is simply no room there for compromisers or for people who accept money from those determined to destroy the moral fabric required for self-governance and liberty."
While Coulter makes the point that she often speaks to groups that she does not endorse or agree with, [for money, a speaker's fee], this is a different matter.
It is important to note that Coulter is to be the "keynote speaker" at the Homocon event.
That in itself will be seen as legitimizing a group that is at odds with the social-moral conservative values.
Bad move IMHO by WND! Coulter understands WWRRD! (What would Ronald Reagan do)... when critized for accepting gay (log Cabin GOP) money... he said (paraphrase) “I’m not signing on to their agenda, they’re signing on to mine”. While he didn’t accept the gay lifestyle, he understood that gays who were for common ground issues of low taxes, less regulation, etc. were valuable allies in the battle for less government. We can work the other stuff out after we send the socialists/fascists packing!
Renauldus Maximus was a true bi-partisan... he LEAD without compromise and convinced doubters of the rightness of his policies! You don’t win 49 states without being “bi-paritsan”. Sadly his success formula was undone by Bush41 & 43, and except for the brief Newt revival in ‘94, the GOP establishment oft imtimidated by big media, has shown little such courage and resolve since!
“The Democrats think the people are stupid, the Repulicans are afraid the Dems are right!” - RedNeckoBlogger
At the Edge;
No its been discredited by right also. In fact the vast majority of right wingers believe that the birther movement is nonsense. All it does is give the Left wing ammo to discredit the right.
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